Toronto's long and winding journey to roll out the Presto pass will continue, 17 years after Hong Kong did it

Originally envisioned 13 years ago, implementation of the TTC’s electronic smartcard payment method is still ongoing. While Presto scanner machines continue to slowly roll out at subway stations, on buses and streetcars, documents released this week indicate it could still be another five years before the system replaces old-fashioned metal tokens across all platforms. The National Post’s Sammy Hudes provides a chronology of the process so far, throwing in some smart-card milestones from other cities for good measure:

1997 Hong Kong launches its Octopus card, a smart-card model that, in addition to serving as a fare card for the city’s transportation system, also doubles as a library card

2001 Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, along with GO Transit and other transit agencies in the GTA, begin working on a project to implement a fare-card system for buses and trains

2001 Paris launches its own contactless smart-card called the Navigo pass

2003 The Oyster card, one of the most famous fare-card models in the world, launches in London with seven million regular users

March 2004 The federal and provincial government, as well as the City of Toronto, announce a joint $1.05-billion commitment of funds for the fare- card project. Of this, $140-million is designated for the TTC’s portion of fare-card implementation.

December 2004 The TTC establishes a project team to conduct an independent review of its requirements to participate in the Greater Toronto Area Fare System and a business case that would outline the needs for it to be effective

2005 The TTC and Ontario sign an agreement to implement the GTA Fare System. The TTC initially agrees to have fare-card readers installed on two turnstiles each at three subway stations, approving two additional stations the following year. The Ministry of Transportation alone commits $140-million in funds to install the 10 readers.

2006 Legislation is passed in Ontario creating the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, now called Metrolinx, allowing it to manage and implement the GTA Fare System project.

2007 The TTC presents its business case for the fare-card system, around 18 months later than previously scheduled, recognizing its potential benefits while recommending the commission proceed cautiously, warning: “This type of system would represent a significant change from the TTC’s current fare system and will likely be costly to implement.” The TTC later commits to implement the fare-card system at 14 of its major subway stations.

2010 Work on a new smart-card system, called the Compass Card, begins in Vancouver to replace old forms of payment on all transit services. The smart cards became operational in late 2013.

2010 Credit card or fare card? The TTC moves forward with plans for an open-payment system, which would have allowed riders to pass through a turnstile with a tap or a wave of their credit or debit card. Some members of council, like then-TTC chair Adam Giambrone, back the open-payment method as a cheaper alternative to the “last-decade technology” fare card. Ultimately, fear over losing provincial transit funding tips the balance in favour of the fare-card system, as previously planned.

March 2011 The TTC announces it will commit to Presto as its fare-card company of choice

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June 2011 Then-TTC chair Karen Stintz endorses the project, saying the hope is for all transit riders in Toronto to be using the new electronic fare card by 2015, just in time for the Pan Am Games.

November 2012 Officials announce that the Presto card will be fully operational on TTC vehicles by 2016, including all buses, trains and streetcars. The TTC plans to implement the card throughout its subway system by the end of 2013, then move on to other vehicles, as tokens and passes are eventually phased out.

December 2012 Debate over the Presto system’s effectiveness continues, with Ontario’s auditor general stating it would cost $700-million to fully implement, making it one of the most expensive transit systems in the world. The original cost to the province was thought to be in the $250-million range, and the TTC estimated in its 2009-2013 budget that the project would take $365-million to complete.

Summer 2013 Ottawa begins a pilot project using Presto. It follows other Ontario transit services that had been using the system for several years: Mississauga’s MiWay starting in July 2007, Oakville Transit in 2009, and Burlington Transit in 2010. The Brampton, York Region, and Hamilton transit systems began similar pilot projects in 2011.

December 2013 Andy Byford, chief executive of the TTC, says it would still be two-and-a-half to three years before Presto is fully implemented. Ms. Stintz submits a motion asking Metrolinx to speed up the process. “I’m not satisfied with this schedule, I don’t think this is the best we can do,” she said. Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins defends the timeline, saying the system would be fully implemented by 2016.

February 2014 Metrolinx officials say the next phase of the Presto launch will make the service available on 11 more subway stations and four streetcar routes, in time to cover the key transportation areas of the Pan Am Games

June 2014 The TTC showcases its new streetcar model, which will be fully equipped with Presto payment scanners. But according to TTC staff, Presto isn’t ready to implement the readers on all vehicles in time to begin the rollout, meaning temporary machines will be available to accept cash and tokens.

June 26 Metrolinx releases a status report that indicates 12 new subway stations and four streetcar lines will be Presto-equipped by fall. The latest estimate for when it will be installed for the majority of streetcar routes is 2019.

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